The Resilience Project
Illuminating the unseen impacts of adoption — for all who’ve been touched by it.
The Resilience Project Podcast brings voice, visibility, and validation to the parts of adoption society rarely names - but all of us feel. Through a trauma-informed somatic lens, host Julie Brumley explores the lived experiences of the entire adoption constellation, with a tender emphasis on the adoptee experience.
This podcast goes beyond storytelling into soul-telling. It offers embodied insight, compassionate education, and a path toward awareness, strength, and hope. Each episode invites listeners to understand adoption more deeply - not just with the mind, but with the nervous system - and to reconnect with the truth, identity, and belonging that were always yours to come home to.
The Resilience Project
Adoptee Healing Beyond Talk Therapy: Plant Medicine, Identity, and Integration
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Discover how adoptees can navigate trauma, identities, and healing through embodied practices, plant medicines, and community connection. Join Julie Brumley and Joni Kim as they explore innovative paths beyond traditional therapy for profound transformation.
In this episode:
- The limitations of talk therapy for deep, pre-verbal trauma
- How plant medicine uncovers the origins of identity and healing gaps
- The concept of identity alchemy and transforming survival mechanisms into conscious leadership
- The significance of preparation and integration in psychedelic journeys
- The unique physiological and energetic impacts of adoption trauma
- The role of community, spirituality, and curiosity in healing
- Practical steps for discernment and choosing aligned healing modalities
Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction: Moving Beyond Words in Adoption Healing
02:45 - Understanding the Origin Story and Its Role in Identity
04:30 - The Gap in Traditional Therapy and the Power of Plant Medicine
06:17 - The Concept of the Life Gap and Energetic Hollowness
08:11 - The Shortcomings of Talk Therapy for Pre-verbal Trauma
09:21 - Recognizing the Need for Embodied Healing Approaches
11:10 - The Impact of Societal and Cultural Conditioning on Adoption Trauma
13:00 - Understanding Complex PTSD, Loss, and the Body’s Embodiment
14:36 - Patterns of Repetition: Relationships, Rejection, and Re-traumatization
17:17 - When Conventional Paths Fail: The Turning Point for Change
20:32 - The Influence of Wounds in Relationships and Healing in Context
23:03 - Adoption Trauma’s Unique Pre-verbal Expression
27:31 - How Plant Medicine Finds You: A Personal Journey
29:27 - Using Psychedelics for Emotional Access and Reframing
31:33 - Safe and Aligned: Navigating Psychedelic and Plant Medicine Use
33:58 - The Importance of Preparation, Intent, and Integration
42:54 - The Transformation of Identity: From Reaction to Responsiveness
44:27 - The Identity Alchemy Framework: Loving, Remembering, and Releasing 45:43 - Supporting Adoption Identity Shifts and Overcoming Resistance
48:37 - Spirituality’s Role in Connecting and Grounding
50:04 - Curiosity as the Key to Open Unconventional Healing Paths
52:42 - The Power of Community and Group Healing Retreats
55:29 - Building Confidence in Your Healing Journey and Discernment
57:14 - Connecting with Joni Kim
Resources & Links:
- Joni Kim - Website
- Joni Kim - Instagram
- Book: Nancy Verrier - The Primal Wound
- Un-M-Othered: A Revolution in Adoptee Healing Retreat
Additional Notes:
- Consider the importance of community in healing journeys.
- Explore embodied and somatic practices alongside plant medicines.
- Prioritize preparation and integration for long-term change.
- Remember: healing is a lifelong, layered process requiring curiosity, patience, and self-compassion.
Instagram: @juliebrumley_
Facebook: julierasbrum
TikTok: @juliebrumley_
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You Tube: @julie_brumley